Friday, August 11, 2017

So I haven't been blogging too much this summer due a very eventful summer because of work. I work with first generation and low-income high school students at a college prep program for my full-time job. Every year I go away for three weeks as part of a six week summer academy and staff work 24/7 around the clock weekdays and weekends. During the academic year, we provide tutoring, workshops, classes and so much more after school and on the weekends. During the summer, we have a 8-4 day for three weeks at the community college that I work at. The last three weeks is the residential component that involves living at a residential college campus. It's an intense and exhausting job but it's so rewarding.

Seeing students succeed and reach higher is something money can't buy. Although the pay isn't that great, I've helped countless amount of students graduate high school and go to college. The great thing is seeing some of the alumni who graduated college. Not only do I see students' growth throughout the years, but the program I work with provides the atmosphere for a second family to bond.

I just came back last Saturday and took off Monday to relax before going back to the office. But of course my co-workers and had to pack the whole office in less than 3 days to move to a new office. Because we already moved 2.5 hours away for the three weeks of summer and back, packing is something we were not looking forward to do on Tuesday. Nevertheless, we succeeded in packing by putting in overtime hours. I am looking forward to a wonderful vacation next week in New Orleans. Speaking of New Orleans, I will be doing a recap of my trip sometime after I get back from my trip.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer. What did you do in July and for the first couple weeks of August?

Part how-to, part girl-empowerment, and all fun, from the leader of the movement championed by Sheryl Sandberg, Malala Yousafzai, and John Legend.

Since 2012, the organization Girls Who Code has taught computing skills to and inspired over 40,000 girls across America. Now its founder, Reshma Saujani, wants to inspire you to be a girl who codes! Bursting with dynamic artwork, down-to-earth explanations of coding principles, and real-life stories of girls and women working at places like Pixar and NASA, this graphically animated book shows what a huge role computer science plays in our lives and how much fun it can be. No matter your interest--sports, the arts, baking, student government, social justice--coding can help you do what you love and make your dreams come true. Whether you're a girl who's never coded before, a girl who codes, or a parent raising one, this entertaining book, printed in bold two-color and featuring art on every page, will have you itching to create your own apps, games, and robots to make the world a better place.

M Y T H O U G H T S

Girls Who Code is an inspiring book for girls who want to learn how to code. Reshma Saujani encourages girls to embrace their love for computer science and STEM related fields. It's okay for girls to like coding. In a male dominated world of coding, Saujani tells girls that coding is for everyone.
The book is divided into many chapters and each chapter has a mixture of text and also images. The timeline of the computer is a nice touch and visually explains the history of the first computers to give readers knowledge of how coding came to be. Girls Who Code explains coding in a way where readers can relate coding to their own lives. From loops to functions, Girls Who Code clearly describes coding terms.

The book also has a section with each coding language with their uses which I find handy. It's a good guide when you're trying to figure out what coding language to use. The glossary is clearly organized and defines many terms for coders to learn and understand.

Girls Who Code is a good companion to the website girlswhocode.com. This is a good resource to check out to find more about coding before delving into the world of coding. However, I wish their was more information about practicing coding in the book or a section of good resources about coding for readers to check out either online or in their local communities besides what is on Girls Who Code website. A printed list of other organizations would be great to see in the book as well.

Monday, July 31, 2017

Thank you to Rockstar Book Tours for allowing me to participate in the Venturess Blog Tour! I am happy to showcase Venturess by Betsy Cornwell, which is a companion novel to Mechanica. If you are looking for a fairytale retelling of Cinderella merged with steampunk, check out both novels.

Young inventor Nicolette Lampton is living her own fairy tale happy ending. She's free of her horrible step-family, running a successful business, and is uninterested in marrying the handsome prince, Fin. Instead, she, Fin, and their friend Caro venture to the lush land of Faerie, where they seek to put an end to the bloody war their kingdom is waging. Mechanical armies and dark magic await them as they uncover devastating secrets about the past and fight for a real, lasting happily-ever-after for two troubled countries—and for themselves.

M Y T H O U G H T S

Nicolette Lampton finally moves away from her stepmother and her stepsisters to open up her own workshop. While everything seems like a happily ever after for Nicolette, everything doesn't seem how it looks. King Corsin is not faring well as his health declines. Fin ends up getting injured while Fitz plots a plan for the people of Esting to fight against the Fey in Faerie. Nicolette ends up embarking on a journey to Faerie with Caro and Fin in order to safe both worlds from rampage and war.

The friendship between Nicolette, Caro and Fin is perfect. They are three peas in a pod. Betsy Cornwell extends Mechanica, which is a retelling of Cinderella, into something more! She transports readers to a magical world of Faerie. However, I wish readers explore the world of Faerie more before the war broke out. Just like Mechanica, Cornwell focuses on the friendship between the trio instead of focusing on romantic relationships. Jules, the mechanical horse, makes an reappearance and readers are introduced to new characters such as Captain Wheelock and Talis, the Fey leader.

Nicolette is a strong woman and doesn't follow the norms. She is independent and doesn't need anyone to help her be who she is. She finds the value of pants while other fashionable ladies would not be caught dead in something so pratical. Two thirds into the novel, readers will run into a plot twist which definitely caught me off guard. Also, Venturess answered my question from Mechanica about what the Ashes are. Readers get a better understanding of the Faerie world even if it's slightly unpleasant.

Venturess is a dazzling story fusing steampunk and fairytales. If you haven't read Mechanica yet, pick it up as soon as you can. Dive into Venturess right after and enjoy the magic!

Nicolette’s awful stepsisters call her “Mechanica” to demean her, but the nickname fits: she learned to be an inventor at her mother’s knee. Her mom is gone now, though, and the Steps have turned her into a servant in her own home.

But on her sixteenth birthday, Nicolette discovers a secret workshop in the cellar and begins to dare to imagine a new life for herself. Could the mysterious books and tools hidden there—and the mechanical menagerie, led by a tiny metal horse named Jules—be the key to escaping her dreary existence? With a technological exposition and royal ball on the horizon, the timing might just be perfect for Nicolette to earn her freedom at last.

Gorgeous prose and themes of social justice and family shine in this richly imagined Cinderella retelling about an indomitable inventor who finds her prince . . . but realizes she doesn't want a fairy tale happy ending after all.

ABOUT BETSY CORNWELL

Hi! I'm Betsy Cornwell, an American writer and teacher living in a stove-heated cottage in west Ireland, together with my horse trainer spouse, a small herd of dairy goats, and an increasing number of other animals. I write fiction and nonfiction and blog about Irish folklore, travel, wild food, goats (of course!), homesteading, and growing up.

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Quirk Books is proud to present Book Pop! According to Quirk Books, Quirk Books is teaming up with some amazing bookstores and libraries to host one-of-a-kind events full of fun activities, exclusive giveaways, and maybe even a chance to meet some of your favorite Quirk authors. If you’ve ever been to a comic convention, it’s kind of like that. And if you haven’t, welcome to the party!

Plus, for everyone unable to make it to the live events, we’ll be hosting an online version of Book Pop! from July 31 to August 11.

Keep an eye on this page—Quirk Books will update it with lots of important information over the next couple months. And make sure to sign up for our Quirk E. Newsletter to get updates sent straight to your inbox. In the meantime, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for all the latest news.

Book Pop! Code-Word Challenge:

The code-word challenge kicks off on July 31! Stay tuned for more information on how to play.

Grand prize: Advance access to our fall titles, signed copy of a Book Pop! participating author's book (winner's choice), $50 gift card to Out of Print, Quirk tote, and more prizes to be announced

Second place: Choose two published Quirk titles, signed copy of a Book Pop! participating author's book (winner's choice), Quirk tote

Third place: Choose one published Quirk title, signed copy of a Book Pop! participating author's book (winner's choice), Quirk tote

Friday, July 21, 2017

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):In this new contemporary from YA star Kasie West, a girl who wins the lottery learns that money can cause more problems than it solves, especially when love comes into the picture.

Maddie doesn't believe in luck. She's all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment --

She wins!

In a flash, Maddie's life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she's talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun... until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now, Maddie isn't sure who she can trust.

Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn't seem aware of Maddie's big news. And, for some reason, she doesn't want to tell him. But what will happen if he learns her secret?

With tons of humor and heart, Kasie West delivers a million-dollar tale of winning, losing, and falling in love.

M Y T H O U G H T S

"We make our own luck...We chose our own fate. We controlled our own future."

Maddie Parker is a senior at Tustin High School. She has two close friends, Elise and Blaire, and she currently works at the Santa Ana Zoo. Maddie's dream school is UCLA and she wants to study veterinary medicine. Although Maddie works hard in school, she is worried about the finances to pay for college. She is hoping she will get decent amount of scholarships since there are finance issues at home. Her mother works overtime and two jobs and her father is still on the lookout for a job. Beau, her brother, took some time off from college to try to get a job to pay off his loans. Maddie doesn't believe in luck but one day she buys a lottery ticket on the whim and she wins! She thinks the lottery winnings will solve her problems but unfortunately money isn't everything.

Kasie West wrote a honest book about real life things that teens have to worry about. Many teens are often trying to find ways to pay for their college tuition and fees and there are many teens who have finance issues at home. When there is not a lot of money to pay for things, it can put a damper to your spirit. However, Maddie makes the most of it and tries to be optimistic. Lucky in Love teaches readers that there is more to life than money. Sometimes people change because of money. Who can you trust? Maddie had to learn the hard way about which people are there for her just for her and not for the money. She had to learn who she can trust.

I love how Maddie is a hard worker and she strives for the best. Even though things are tough at home in terms of finances, she makes the best of what she has. Maddie has supportive friends that always has her back. Elise and Blaire are always there for Maddie. Seth Nguyen, Maddie's coworker, has always had an honest friendship with Maddie. I haven't read too many books with an Asian male love interest so it's refreshing to see this type of interracial relationship in a YA novel.

Seth is probably one of the very few people in the book that isn't using Maddie for their own benefit. He is the one that Maddie looks forward to see everyday. Also, there is no instalove in this book which I love! I enjoy reading about relationships that slowly progress from a friendship into something more. Maddie's quirk of randomly saying facts is something I can relate to since I do the very same thing. I appreciate Seth's passion in film making despite her parents disapproval of it as a career. Because Seth and Maddie attend different schools, it's nice to see them bond at work at the Santa Ana Zoo. There is no pressure in school to act a different way since they only see each other at work for the most part.

Lucky in Love is a fluffy contemporary novel that teaches teens good morals and has a cute friendship that blossoms into something more. It's the perfect summer read and you will fly through the book with a smile. I highly suggest this novel for those who enjoy To All the Boys I've Loved Before, When Dimple Met Rishi and I Believe in a Thing Called Love.

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):Leave it to the heroes to save the world--villains just want to rule the world.

In this unique YA anthology, thirteen acclaimed, bestselling authors team up with thirteen influential BookTubers to reimagine fairy tales from the oft-misunderstood villains' points of view.

These fractured, unconventional spins on classics like "Medusa," Sherlock Holmes, and "Jack and the Beanstalk" provide a behind-the-curtain look at villains' acts of vengeance, defiance, and rage--and the pain, heartbreak, and sorrow that spurned them on. No fairy tale will ever seem quite the same again!

M Y T H O U G H T SBecause You Love to Hate Me is an anthology about 13 villains spanning from Medusa to Hades. Authors are paired up with booktubers, creating short stories about a villain prompted by their assigned booktuber. The anthology seemed promising but like most anthologies, stories vary in interest and rating. Some short stories I couldn't get through, while others I plowed through quickly. The ones that I enjoyed showed honesty and the characters are genuine in what they say and do. The words flowed well and the stories was decently paced.

I have always loved reading backstories of villains about how and why they become who they are today. There is a reason someone becomes a villain. People are not born villains. Usually something tragic happens in a person's past that turns them into a villain.

Monday, July 17, 2017

Thank you Bloomsbury for the opportunity to participate in the Because You Hate Me Blog Tour! I was fortunate to interview Soman Chainani and Samantha Lane. Don't forget to check out the giveaway at the bottom of the post and check out the 12 other blog tour stops!

Leave it to the heroes to save the world--villains just want to rule the world.

In this unique YA anthology, thirteen acclaimed, bestselling authors team up with thirteen influential BookTubers to reimagine fairy tales from the oft-misunderstood villains' points of view.

These fractured, unconventional spins on classics like "Medusa," Sherlock Holmes, and "Jack and the Beanstalk" provide a behind-the-curtain look at villains' acts of vengeance, defiance, and rage--and the pain, heartbreak, and sorrow that spurned them on. No fairy tale will ever seem quite the same again!

Q&A WITH SOMAN CHAINANI AND SAMANTHA LANE

What made you decide to write a mashup retelling of the Arthurian legend and the Persephone-Hades myth in more modern times? How did you decide what format to write "Gwen and Art and Lance" in?

Soman:I’ve always been obsessed with the Arthurian legend and the way the love triangle seems so timeless and universal. The story of Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot explores so many themes – loyalty, friendship, betrayal, definitions of masculinity and femininity, maturation, and so many more. It seemed instantly relatable to modern day high school, and so I began brewing an idea for how to make the Arthurian legend feel contemporary again. At the same time, the Persephone-Hades myth explored similar themes so I knew I could fold it in.

In terms of the format, I felt like we needed to shake up the Arthurian legend a bit and these days there’s so much drama in the texting between teenagers that I saw a great opportunity to really experiment with a new form. I’d never written in text messages before, but what I realized is that it’s more about what is not said in a text message than what is said. So much of editing the story was about cutting and letting the unspoken text stand for itself.

Samantha:These decisions really came from Soman. We spent a lot of time going over prompts (I think in the end we had over 12!) and we ended up deciding to mix two of our favorite things. Soman wanted to explore the King Arthur legend. I'm known for my love of Hades and Persephone. A mix of the two was a way to have both of us present in the story. A lot of my other prompts had the modern setting as well, so we took that as another element to mix in. It also allowed Soman to explore themes of popularity, modern day high school, and social media, which were all things he wanted to look at with his story. The format was also his idea as well. Social media and technology is a huge part of modern life, especially for teens. Once I saw that he used that format for his story, I tied my essay in using an Instagram format. It was an interesting format to work in and something I probably wouldn't have done if he hadn't gone that route. But I really like how my essay ended up turning out in that format! The team at Bloomsbury were really great about working with that format and creating a layout that was reminiscent of the Instagram platform.How was the collaboration process for the both of you? Did you like writing in the villain’s point of view and why?

Soman: It was great! I had an initial idea for retelling the Arthurian myth in high school and Sam had the inspiration to work in Persephone and Hades into the concept, so I took that mash-up and ran with it. I tend to always write in the villain’s point of view – that’s what The School for Good and Evil series is all about – so it felt like I was coming back home.

Samantha: As I said earlier, we spent a lot of time in the collaboration process. One of the villains we both really wanted to do was a Sea Witch, but that villain got snatched up before we could claim her! We both were a little sad about that. So we ended up going through a number of prompts before we brainstormed, and Soman came up with the idea of mixing some stories together. He really wanted to explore some of the characters from Camelot, and I really wanted to see Hades and Persephone (especially Persephone). The result is the story he came up with. In regards to writing from the villain’s point of view, I really enjoyed creating my essay: The Bad Girl's Hall of Fame. I adore female villains, and using the social media format allowed me to create a gallery of some of my favorites, and discuss villainy through them.

ABOUT SOMAN CHAINANI

Soman Chainani's first novel, THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL, debuted on the New York Times Bestseller List, has been translated into 26 languages across six continents, and will soon be a major motion picture from Universal Studios.

The sequels, A WORLD WITHOUT PRINCES and THE LAST EVER AFTER, debuted on the New York Times Bestseller List as well. Together, the books of the series have been on the print and extended NYT lists for a total of 33 weeks.

As a writer and film director, Soman's films have played at over 150 film festivals around the world, winning more than 30 jury and audience prizes, and his writing awards include honors from Big Bear Lake, New Draft, the CAPE Foundation, the Sun Valley Writer’s Fellowship, and the coveted Shasha Grant, awarded by a jury of international film executives.

When he’s not telling stories or teaching in New York City, Soman is a die-hard tennis player who never lost a first-round match for ten years . . . until he started writing THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL. Now he loses all the time.

A Midwestern girl living on the East Coast, Samantha has been uploading bookish videos on her channel, Thoughts on Tomes, three times a week since 2014. She is currently the moderator for Top Ten Wednesday. When not discussing fictional characters online, Samantha can be found playing video games, marathoning episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or napping with one of her pets.